The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee’s agenda is up for Wednesday morning, and don’t be fooled – it’s all there. There are decisions on funding on various bills that have passed, from capitol restoration to elected officials’ salaries; decisions on funding school-construction legislation; and something called the “Strengthening Idaho Act of 2006.”

That, basically, is everything else. Members of the joint committee will vote, one project at a time, on how to spend the remaining $50 million or so the state has left in next year’s budget, with Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s parks initiative up first. Items that could get funding as part of the Act include an array of economic development projects, milfoil eradication, scholarships and more. If all goes as planned, JFAC will spend the rest of next year’s budget as it makes those decisions, and the stage will be set for wrapping up the session.

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